Kelsey Byrne

UConn School of Nursing

My name is Kelsey Byrne. I was born in the town of Croton in Westchester County, New York. I have a high school diploma from the Hendrick Hudson High School, and am currently pursuing a degree at the UConn School of Nursing, from which I plan to graduate in 2021.

In January of 2019, I participated in an alternative break to Birmingham, Alabama focused on Urban Poverty and Civil Rights. We worked with Habitat for Humanity, the Food Bank of Central Alabama, Christian Service Mission, and Mary’s House, a home for battered women and their children. I believe the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars Program will allow me to continue in Connecticut the good work I did in Alabama. Reorientation is an important part of service work, and I think I could bring a valuable perspective to medical work in my home state. The experiences and lessons I take part in with the UST/AS Program will allow me to become a nurse able to understand people’s socio-cultural narratives and the struggles they face.